Liquid or gas disseminating projectile



Oct. 8, 1968 A. J. GRANDY 3,404,630

LIQUID OR GAS DISSEMINATING PROJEC'IILE Filed Nov. 27, 1957 I 5 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. IA

INVENTOR.

ANDREW J. GRANDY Oct. 8, 1968 A. J. GRANDY 3,404,630

LIQUID 0R GAS DISSEMINATTNG PR LTECTILE Filed Nov. 27, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ANDREW J. GRANDY BYILM. 449. I H

Irv A TORNEYS A. J. GRANDY LIQUID OR GAS DISSEMINATING PROJECTILE Oct. 8, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 27, 1967 INVENTOR. ANDREW J. GRANDY BY A/- h.

" ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,404,630 LIQUID OR GAS DISSEMINATING PROJECTILE Andrew J. Grandy, 2707 Grant Ave., North Hills, Pa. 19038 Filed Nov. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 685,765 7 Claims. (Cl. 102-66) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A projectile for disseminating a liquid or gaseous agent including a gas generator which upon impact causes a piston to travel towards the base of the projectile thereby The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates to a liquid or gas disseminating projectile and more particularly to a projectile which will disseminate a liquid or gaseous agent upon target impact.

The basic problem in the use of a projectile, which disseminated a liquid or gaseous agent upon impact, was in the limiting of ground penetration of the heavy projectile in order that the gas or liquid contents could be expelled to the atmosphere without hindrance. The use of prior art projectiles of this type involves the following steps:

(1) Setting a fuze prior to chambering;

(2) Firing the projectile from a gun tube;

(3) Blowing off a heavy base in flight;

(4) Deploying a drag chute to slow the projectile and limit ground penetration;

(5) Blowing or Rose-Petaling the forward part of the projectile to increase resistance prior to ground entry.

(6) Pressurization of the gas or liquid contents and expelling these contents to the atmosphere.

The present invention eliminates the six above noted general functions to be performed, each of which is dependent on an expensive and intricate time fuze, by providing a simple and straight forward method of accomplishing same with only two functions.

In general, the projectile is simply fired from a gun tube and allowed to proceed unhindered to the target area. Upon ground impact a simple anchor will drag the projectile base and extend a length of high pressure aircraft hose from within the projectile base. Impact forces will simultaneously pressurize an internal cannister which cooperates With the aircraft hose. Since the rearward part of the hose is essentially above ground the liquid or gas agent can be expelled to the atmosphere with minimum difiiculty.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a projectile which will disseminate liquid or gaseous material upon impact.

Another object is the provision of a projectile for disseminating liquid and gaseous material wherein set-back, centrifugal force and impact force, arm and actuate the projectile.

A further object is to provide a projectile for disseminating liquid and gaseous material into the atmosphere no matter how far into the ground the projectile is buried.

The above objects as well as others together with the benefits and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon reference to the detailed description set forth below, particularly when taken in conjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a plan view, partly in section, of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a view of the base portion of the projectile illustrating the open and closed position of the anchors. 1BFIG. 3 shows a view as taken along line 33 of FIG.

As seen in the drawings a projectile 10 includes a nose portion 12, a cannister portion 14, and a base portion 16. The cannister portion 14 contains a gas generator 18, having a firing pin 20. A shear pin 22 prevents said firing pin from moving. Said gas generator 18 includes a gas cartridge 24, and a stabilizer 30, and has a rear portion 26 which contains a primer composition such as lead styphonate, barium nitrate, tetrazene, or the like which when activated by said firing pin 20 ignites a gas producing a substance such as a single or double based propellant to produce a gas. Said gas is expelled out the front end 28 of the cartridge and back down towards the piston 32. A pair of 0 rings 34 prevents said gas from leaking around the side of said piston 32 and the gas urges said piston 32 to move in a direction towards the base of said projectile. This causes the material in said cannister portion 14 to pass through a high pressure hose 36 which is attached at one end, to the cannister 14 by a pressure plug 38, to be described infra, which allows the gas to pass from the cannister to the high pressure hose. The high pressure hose 36 has a high pressure aircraft fitting 58 at either end.

As can be seen in FIG. 1B, the high pressure hose is coiled in the base portion 16 of the projectile 10, and said base portion is secured to the rest of the projectile by shear pin 40, a snap ring 42 and a twist pin 44. At the other end of the high pressure hose is an atomizing nozzle 46a having a plurality of orifices therein through which the cannister material is expelled. This nozzle is located beneath one of a plurality of anchors 48, see FIG. 2, and is, when said anchors are in the closed position, as indicated by the solid lines, concealed. When said anchors 48 are in the open position, as illustrated by the broken lines, the nozzle 46a is exposed. An O-ring seal 47 is provided to prevent leakage when said anchors 48 are in closed position.

Upon set-back the three anchors 48 are free to move into the open position due to the release of the three unlocking detents 50. The spin initiated in the gun tube will then centrifuge the retainer 52 (FIG. 3), which retainer includes a pair of arcuate members 62 each having a spring 64 attached thereto and secured at 66 to said cannister 14. The pressure plug 38 (FIG. 1B) is then free to creep forward during flight with the aid of a spring 54. Upon target impact the pressure plug 38 will fully emerge, exposing the nozzle 46a of the high pressure hose 36. Rapid spin degradation upon impact will cause the three anchors 48 to be spun to the open position as shown by the dotted or broken lines and locked by the locking detents 56. Upon opening, the nozzle 46a of the high pressure hose 36 will be exposed. Target impact will also shear the pin 22 and actuate the firing pin 20 thus initiating the gas cartride' 24. Gas will commence to flow and act upon the piston 32. During travel into the ground, the open anchors 48 will be subjected to an impact force which is which is attached to the high pressure hose 36. Continued travel of the projectile will unreel the required length of hose from within the projectile base portion. Travel of piston 32 under the influence of the gas pressure will simultaneouly force the liquid or gaseous material, such as alcohol-glycol simulant, from the cannister 14 through the high pressure hose 36 and out the nozzle 46a.

It is not necesary for the projectile to fully bury itself and release the hose to obtain the desired result. With the anchors 48 in the open position, impact will actuate the gas cartridge thus causing a flow through the exposed atomizing nozzle. Approximately 10 feet of hose can be accommodated in the existing projectile body of, for eX- ample, a 155 mm. projectile, without detracting from the liquid volume of approximately 275 cu. in. Also, if tensile characteristics of the hose require, a tandom high strength steel wire can be laid across the length of the hose. This wire will be purposely made shorter than the extended length of hose and thus be able to absorb the tensile load after full payout is achieved.

Obviously many variations and modifications of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. A projectile for disseminating fluid material into the atmosphere after impact comprising:

a cannister including a forward portion and a rearward portion,

a piston movably secured within said forward portion, and means to move said piston in a direction towards the rearward portion, material to be disseminated contained within said rearward portion,

a base portion including:

coiled hose means secured to said cannister portion at one end,

a base plate separably connected to said base portion and connected to the other end of said hose means, and

means for preventing said base'plate from travelling with said projectile after impact.

2. A projectile of the type described in claim 1 wherein said means to move said piston includes a gas generator.

3. A projectile of the type described in claim 2 wherein gas generator includes:

a gas cartridge,

a firing pin in alignment with said gas cartridge,

a shear pin securing said firing pin from moving until impact.

4. A projectile of the type described in claim 1 wherein said coiled hose means includes a high pressure hose having high pressure aircraft fittings at both ends.

5. A projectile of the type described in claim 4 wherein said high pressure hose is communicates with said cannister portion through a retainer comprised of:

a pair of arcuate members,

a pair of springs each attached at one end to one of said arcuate members and secured at the other end to said cannister, and

a pressure plug having a spring therein.

6. A projectile of the type described in claim 1 wherein said means for preventing said base plate from travelling with said projectile after impact includes:

a plurality of anchors attached to and spaced radially around said base plate.

7. A projectile of the type described in claim 6 wherein said base plate includes an atomizing nozzle having a plurality of orifices therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,317,551 9/1919 Chambers 102-6 2,787,217 4/ 1957 Mahafiie 102-6 2,993,648 7/ 1961 Blackwell 10249.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 443,451 2/ 1936 Great Britain. 457,507 11/1936 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

J. FOX, Assistant Examiner. 

